Pakistan govt employs terrorism as an instrument of state policy: India at UNHRC

India and Pakistan exchanged diplomatic barbs over Kashmir at the 33rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

While, Islamabad raised the issue of "unceasing oppression", Under the Right to Reply, India countered Pakistan for raising the issue of alleged human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, terming its "unsolicited and unwarranted comments" as "factually incorrect and bear no relationship to reality", an international news agency reported.

India slammed Pakistan for continually referring to the UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir, saying that Islamabad "very conveniently forgets its own obligation under these resolutions which is to first vacate the illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir".

It also accused Pakistan of "blatantly disregarding" its commitments under the 1972 Simla Agreement, the 2004 Joint Declaration against terrorism, and the understanding reached at Ufa, Russia in 2015.

To counter Pakistan for saying that Jammu and Kashmir was under foreign occupation, India said, "Yes, a part of it is, and the occupier in question is Pakistan". The "foremost challenge to stability in Kashmir is the scourge of terrorism, which receives sustenance from Pakistan and the territories under Pakistan's control," India added.

India claimed that it has handed over "concrete evidence about cross-border encouragement and support for the protests in Kashmir" to Pakistan, but instead of trying to address the issue, "Pakistan resorts to short-sighted tactics to divert attention".

"Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is administered by a deep state and has become an epicentre of terrorism. Pakistan's human rights record in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Balochistan is deplorable. It has had no hesitation in using air power and artillery against its own people, not once but repeatedly over the years. It is high time for Pakistan to do some deep introspection," India said.

India also urged Pakistan to focus on "improving human rights situation and dismantling the terrorism infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir".

Under its Second Right to Reply, India said that it was ironical that a nation "that has established a well earned reputation of being the global epicentre of terrorism" was holding forth on human rights.

"In the last two decades, the most wanted terrorists of the world have found succor and sustenance in Pakistan. This tradition unfortunately continues even today, not surprising when its government employs terrorism as an instrument of state policy," it said.

India said the ongoing violence in Jammu and Kashmir erupted after the death "in police action of a self-proclaimed terrorist commander of Hizbul Mujahideen with links to the adeep state' across the border".

"Since then, we have seen continuous flow of terrorists trained and armed by our neighbour and convincing proof that they have been tasked with creating incidents that would lead to casualties in the civilian population," India said.

"In fact, Pakistan is a nation that practises terrorism on its own people. The sufferings of the people of Balochistan are a telling testimony in this regard. Not coincidentally, this region also serves as a base to conduct terrorism and violate human rights in a neighbouring country."

India urged the UN Human Rights Council to take a "clear cut stance against the egregious violation of human rights through state-sponsored terrorism".

At least 80 people have lost their lives in clashes with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.